Increasing Persistence of All Students in STEM


Spelman student research trainees have also had the opportunity to work with researchers at local area and national institutions, many of whom are African American women scientists, and have been supported in their travel to present at national conferences. Since 1991, a total of 280 research students have been supported (30 students are still currently being supported), with 7 receiving support for 1 or more years.

Since 1991, pre-college programming has included outreach to local area high schools and a five-week Biomedical Summer Science Program (BSSP), which was changed in 2008 into the non-residential Career Exploration Program (CEP.) The initial BSSP began as a co-educational college preparatory program for rising tenth-, eleventh-, and twelfth-graders that focused on science, math, and writing skills. In 2000, the summer program enrolled only rising twelfth-grade girls and changed format to focus more on biomedical careers and lab-based projects. Due to the high costs of running such programs, the most recent iteration of the summer program (CEP), which introduces students to biomedical research through field trips and hands-on projects, has been cut to two weeks. A total of 327 high school students have participated in the summer bridge programs from 1992–2011. Although most did not matriculate at Spelman, and tracking information is limited, the majority of participants reported that these programs broadened their awareness of science careers, taught them about how research is performed, and strengthened their decision to attend college and study science. Science faculty also recognize the benefits of summer bridge programs in attracting students into the sciences at Spelman.

The Biomedical Summer Science Career Exploration Program (CEP), that took place each summer from 2009–2012 provided an opportunity for rising high school senior girls to learn more about research and career opportunities in the biomedical sciences. A total of fifty-nine program participants explored cancer through hands-on lab activities, scientific journal review, and interacting with cancer researchers and health care policy experts to get a comprehensive view of how cancer affects the community.

Participants were exposed to cancer research and treatment through field trips to the Center for Research and Therapeutic Development at Clark Atlanta University and the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University in Atlanta. The students learned about health care policy with a presentation given by the American Cancer Society. At our annual "Chat and Chew" Lectures, students got an opportunity to have an informal discussion over lunch with African American women faculty who are cancer researchers. At each closing ceremony, the students gave group oral presentations on the different cancers that they researched and treatments for the disease.

Through these activities, the CEP enhanced our pre-college and other outreach by:

- Building partnerships with local public school systems to broaden our effective outreach to pre-college students in the Metro Atlanta area

- Contributing positive role models for girls interested in science by engaging Spelman students and alumni in outreach and mentoring activities

CEP Program Impact Summary

Item Measured

2009

2010

2011

2012

Total

# of students from Metro Atlanta

12

12

17

41

# of students from outside Metro Atlanta

7

8

3

18

# of laboratory techniques learned during program

6

6

6

18

# of different cancers studied

8

8

8

24

# of cancer professional students meet and interacted with

8

8

8

24

From 1996–1999, the HHMI Program also sponsored training workshops, with a total of fifty-six local area high school teachers coming to campus to learn new pedagogies in biology instruction. The linkages formed with these high schools led to the identification of students interested in STEM disciplines (protégés) who were linked with Spelman alumnae mentors in the previous grant. The Root to STEM documentary filmed using HHMI support was used to attract student participants to the mentoring programs as well as the summer bridge program. Since 2009, nine students have participated in the protégé-mentor network, with three entering Spelman as biology majors. Although this did not continue as an HHMI-sponsored activity, mentoring activities were sponsored by existing science service clubs.

In order to introduce students to research topics and careers, starting in 1995, the biology department formally began a Visiting Lecturer Series sponsored by the HHMI Program. From 1995–2004, the program sponsored 153 seminar speakers, after which time the Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions (RIMI) Program began coordinating seminars, and then seminars were specifically sponsored by the various STEM departments. This focused effort has provided students and faculty with the opportunity of interacting with prominent scientists from around the country, allowing them to keep abreast of research trends in a variety of disciplines and expanding their own research programs through collaborations.

Assessment data indicates that faculty-mentored student research has increased the number of students pursuing advanced degrees, so the program has expanded its impact in this regard. More recently it has supported the development of investigative projects in the biology introductory classes and in two advanced electives (Molecular Genomics and Bioinformatics; Plant Biology). During the previous funding cycle, five research classes enrolling thirty-three students have been taught through the BIO487 research courses, allowing faculty to receive academic credit for training students in their specific research projects (evolutionary biology, molecular biology, plant biology, cell biology, and genetics.) This increase in active faculty-student research collaboration is evidenced by a 360% increase in the number of biology student presentations at the college's Research Day: 1991, 14 presentations; 2011, 51 presentations. Since the introduction of the BIO487 research courses in 2009, there has been a 42% increase in the numbers of presentations over a two-year period, indicating the high success of these structured research courses.

A significant indicator of program effectiveness is how many of those students who, after being supported through various HHMI-sponsored Research Programs, persisted in STEM-related fields. The table below presents post-graduation accomplishments of Spelman students who participated in the HHMI Program's research programs in previous funding cycles (1992–2011).

Table 1: HHMI-Supported Research Program Participants, 1992-2011

Year

BS

(multiple year support)

Science MS/PhD

MD

Other Health-professional Degrees

Science-related Workforce

Non-Science Adv. Degrees

1992-93

23(2)

1/1

9

3

1993-94

21

1

12

1

4

1

1994-95

8

1995-96

9(2)

5

1

1996-97

15

1*

4*

1

1997-98

18(3)

1/1

3

2

1

1998-99

10(2)

4

2

1

1999-2000

12

1

5**

1**

1

2000-01

9

3

4

2001-02

16(2)

3

6

1

2

2

2002-03

21(4)

1

7

3

1

2003-04

17(5)

1

5

3

1

2004-05

9(5)

1

2

2005-06

14(3)

3

3

1

1

2006-07

11(3)

5

3

1

2007-08

11(3)

1/2

1

2

1

2008-09

13(1)

1/5

3

1

+2009-10

12(1)

1

2

#2010-11

13(2)
*1 MD/PhD **1 MD/MPH +6 students still enrolled at time of data collection #all students enrolled at time of data collection

The Spelman HHMI Program's Mentoring Network selected three pre-college students (protégés) from a local area high school each year from 2008 to 2012, each of whom was paired with a Spelman Alumna mentor. The protégés and their mentors were paired based on their career interests and contacted each other over the course of the academic year via email and phone to discuss the students' path to and through college, research interests, and career goals. The protégés and mentors were brought to campus for a two-day period that coincided with Spelman College's Annual Research Day, where protégés toured the campus, met with administrators, attended research presentations, and spent an afternoon talking with their mentors.

.